What Do Car Spoilers Really Do? Question Of The Day

Whale tails and wicked wings can help some of the fast cars avoid taking flight, but are they necessary for grocery getters?

Photo by Ford Motor Co.

Question: Do spoilers on cars really serve any useful purpose?

Answer: Spoilers are designed to do exactly what the name implies: spoil or interrupt the airflow around a vehicle. On a an Indy Car, front and rear spoilers - called wings - create downward force thereby reducing the lift created at high speeds and improving maneuverability.

Rear spoilers, a close cousin to the wings used on the Indy car, on consumer cars serve a similar purpose, improving handling. With roots in performance, most spoilers today serve to enhance a car’s aerodynamics and serve as a stylish accessory.

If there were a Rear Spoiler Hall of Fame, the Porsche 911 would its star. As outlined by Total 911, a British Porsche enthusiast magazine dedicated to all things 911, in 1974 Porsche replaced the rear spoiler on the Carrera RS models with a newer, sleeker version. It replaced the more upright (duck tail) rear spoiler with a bigger ‘whale tail’ design. It remained unchanged throughout the 70s and 80s. The whale tail was a perfect mix of engineering and aesthetics. It worked like it was supposed to, and it looked cool while doing it.